One of my many character flaws, is that I, when faced with a difficulty, will often put off creating a solution in the hope that the problem I’m facing will just…disappear. One of these difficulties is one you’re probably facing right now as well–online teaching due to Coronavirus. There was (and still is, to be […]
Your Music Teaching Business
How to Address Difficult Situations with Students…
I’m going to make a guess that if you’re reading this blog post, that you are, or have been, in a situation where you need to discuss something sensitive with a parent or student in your music studio. Maybe you’ve been meaning to have the conversation for a long time, and you’ve finally decided it’s […]
Setting Boundaries in Your Suzuki Studio
As the beginning of school approaches, I like to take some time to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t in my Suzuki violin studio. I love the magic of a new start, and the beginning of fall is my favorite time of year. It’s important to me to set myself up well at the […]
Why You Should Create a Facebook Page for Your Music Teaching Business
Whether we like it or not, Facebook is here to stay and it is a major player in the lives of our potential students and their parents. If you are a Suzuki teacher, I strongly suggest creating a business Facebook page for your studio. Here are a few reasons why you may want to create […]
Communicating with New Suzuki Parents…
Starting a new student is an exciting, fun, and a little bit scary process. It’s wonderful to get to know a new student and family, and watch their joy and wonder over the beginning violin steps. Especially with young students, this time is just magical. It’s also scary! There’s a lot of pressure to get […]
How to Make Changes to Your Suzuki Studio without Alienating Your Students
Occasionally, I will realize that I have really messed up my violin studio. I’ve not created boundaries around my time. Or I wasn’t clear about my expectations for practice or listening. I’ll come to the conclusion that things need to change. Maybe you’ve felt the same in your own studio. But how do we press […]
Why I Totally Changed Suzuki Parent Education in My Studio…
And How Automation Keeps Me Sane… In recent years, I have begun to realize how much power I have to create the culture and community in my Suzuki violin studio. Any “issues” or “frustrations” I have had with parents or students, if I look hard enough, I can trace back to my own actions. And, […]
The First Thing You Need to Do Before Looking For New Violin Students…
When we need to find more students, that need is often accompanied by a feeling of desperation and panic. But it would be a mistake to rush into looking for and accepting students. As music teachers, there are only a limited number of teaching hours in any given week. It is crucial that these hours are […]
5 Helpful Resources for Suzuki Violin Teachers
Five Helpful Resources for Suzuki Violin Teachers… 1. I loved this post from Teach Piano Today titled, “How to Turn Your Difficult Piano Students into Your Favorite Piano Students.” It is such a helpful and timely reminder for me of the impact I can have in the lives of my students. 2. One of my […]
How I Use Music Teacher’s Helper to Streamline My Studio Schedule
And Make My Studio Parents’ Lives a Thousand Times Easier…. A few weeks ago, I shared a post about why I totally changed my make up lesson policy. I have moved to a much more flexible make-up policy. If my students give me 24-hour notice before they cancel lessons, they can register for a make up […]